The act of filling a bathtub has been a continued annoyance for generations. Bathtub filling often requires a long amount of time because of the amount of water required and the relatively slow flow rate of the water. During this tub filling time, the rising water level must be constantly observed so that the waiting bather can know when the bath water reaches the desired water level and avoid the occurrence of an overflow. However, few people have the patience to stand and wait for a tub to fill. The situation often results in a seemingly endless cycle of leaving and returning to check on the progress of the water level. In addition, parents with small children or people who are visually impaired have safety concerns which often require their continued presence as the water is filling the tub.
Various liquid level control devices and systems have been described in the prior art and widely used in households, hotels and other institutions. Some of these systems sound an alarm signal when the liquid reaches a certain level, while other systems operate on mechanical liquid level relief principles. Regardless of the control mode, the purpose is to assure safety of the person in a bathtub by alerting such person of the safety level of the liquid, and prevent damage to the floor which may result from liquid overflow.
One bath water level control system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,444 issued to Wily Orszullok on Mar. 31, 1981. That system is designed for exterior installation relative to the bathtubs and includes a probe or detecting means which is vertically adjustable on the exterior wall of the tub. When the water reaches a predetermined level, the probe emits a signal which activates a device to turn off the inflowing water and/or trip an alarm.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,008,728 issued to Akintunde O. Wesey on Dec. 28, 1999, describes a water level detection and alarm device used for bathtubs. The device comprises a housing which is secured to the interior surface of the tub and includes a float and water level alarm system which sounds an alarm when the water level in the tub reaches a predetermined level.
A tub alarm apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,160,482 issued to Timothy W. Hill on Dec. 12, 2000. The alarm apparatus described therein includes a suction cup to be secured to the wall of the bathtub. An alarm housing is attached to the top of the suction cup, and an alarm system is located within the alarm housing. A float is supported by the alarm housing for activating the alarm when the water in the bathtub reaches a predetermined level.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,480,113 B1 issued to David W. Esposito on Nov. 12, 2002, describes a water level alarm system which comprises a housing, a float, a battery compartment, a speaker and an alarm. The housing is secured to the sides of the water container; the float rises with the water and when it reaches a certain level, makes contact with two separate conductors to complete a circuit and sound an alarm.
Thus, even though there are several prior art systems in use for controlling liquid levels in containers, most commonly in bathtubs, such systems are generally complicated to install and/or difficult to construct and operate. It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a liquid level sensor which could be easily installed and easily adjusted to allow the user to properly control the sensing of the water.